Representatives of the families of IDF soldiers who fell in Jenin during Operation Defensive Shield have criticized Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Sunday, after the AG decided recently not to demand an investigation into filmmaker Muhammad Bakri over defamation accusations in his film "Jenin, Jenin."
"Weinstein has abandoned the reputation and dignity of victims of the battle in Jenin, the bereaved families and IDF soldiers, and insurmountably harmed us," the representative stated.
Bakri's film "Jenin, Jenin" was banned in Israel because of the way it portrayed the fighting in Jenin as an "Israeli massacre of innocent Arabs" instead of another terror bust during the second Intifada.
Recently, the representatives of the bereaved family asked once again to open up an investigation into the filmmaker for his film, which used falsified footage to portray the bust as a massacre and manipulated photos and "witness testimony" to demonize the IDF.
Thirty-two IDF soldiers were killed fighting the terrorists in Jenin - and survivors have said since that they have been fighting for their good names.
While the documentary was found to have contained lies, including accusations of murder, the soldiers accused were unable to file suit because no one individual soldier had been accused.
Weinstein wrote in his decision that while "it is clear to all that the film 'Jenin, Jenin' claims to be a documentary, but it is a work which contained numerous false and vulgar statements" and "the film is therefore false libel produced intentionally," he refused a request by reservists to file an indictment against Bakri over the film in criminal court.
As a result of the decision, the Knesset passed in 2013 the "Jenin, Jenin Law" to allow soldiers to sue over false accusations even if they, individually, were not named.